Bloomberg's Trip to Caribbean Points to Rising Stature of Latinos

By DIANE CARDWELL

Published: July 26, 2002

SAN JUAN, P.R., July 25—
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg flew a delegation of Puerto Rican politicians, mostly City Council members, here on his private jet today for a sweltering celebration of the island's commonwealth status. On Friday he joins a group of Dominican officials in Santiago, Dominican Republic, and after a day of events will escort them back to New York, again on his private jet and at his own expense.

Since his election, Mr. Bloomberg has consistently made symbolic gestures aimed at Latino residents. But this two-day trip is his most expansive gesture yet to a community that is increasingly on the radar screen of politicians as it grows in size and stature.

What is also notable is the object of much of Mr. Bloomberg's largess: the City Council. Long a stepchild of municipal government, the Council was neglected by the previous mayor, Rudolph W. Giuliani -- and even Mr. Bloomberg has taken a swipe at it as a body. Earlier this week, he accused members of 1960's thinking and pandering for votes and campaign contributions, should they support a measure that would provide job protection to striking Queens bus drivers.

But Mr. Bloomberg, a Republican, has gone out of his way to reach out to Latino members of the Council -- who by and large are Democrats -- inviting them to dinner at his East Side town house, attending their ceremonial events, and praising them publicly and by name.

Indeed, so close has his relationship become with the Rev. Ruben Diaz, a Bronx councilman, that Mr. Diaz has taken to introducing Mr. Bloomberg to his constituents as Miguelito, which literally means Little Michael but in this case is used as a term of endearment.

''This trip, just like George Pataki's trips, just like Carl McCall's trips and Andrew Cuomo's trips, is an indication of the growing importance of the Latino community in New York's political landscape,'' said Adolfo Carrión Jr., the Bronx borough president and one of the members of the delegation flown on the Bloomberg plane. ''And that's purely what it's about.

''There is a sense, and it's in the numbers, that Latinos are growing and they will continue to grow faster than any other group for a while,'' he said. ''And if you have any political sense and business sense, which we know this man does, you identify with that reality and issues related to that community.''

Mr. Bloomberg is not the first Republican politician to court Latino voters. President George W. Bush likes to show off his Spanish. Closer to home, Gov. George E. Pataki can frequently be found in Washington Heights, a center of the city's growing Dominican population.

Mr. Bloomberg started reaching out to the Latino community even before taking office. He went on a similar jaunt, promising closer ties with Puerto Rico and visiting Dominicans who lost family members on Nov. 12 in the crash of Flight 587. His first meeting after the election was with Fernando Ferrer, who had lost his own mayoral bid in the Democratic runoff. He has tried to learn Spanish.

For this trip, he was generous in his invitations, including a half-dozen Latino council members and other elected officials and politicians. Four council members -- Maria Baez and Joel Rivera of the Bronx, Mr. Diaz and Hiram Monserrate of Queens -- were at the ceremonies today. Two more council members -- Diana Reyna of Brooklyn and Miguel Martinez of Upper Manhattan -- will join in the Dominican leg of the trip.

The day began for Mr. Bloomberg with a breakfast with the editorial board at El Nuevo Dia. Meanwhile, Mr. Diaz, Ms. Baez and Mr. Rivera sipped coffee and nibbled on pastries in a hotel lobby along with Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr., the councilman's son. They had flown in late the night before with Mr. Bloomberg and his deputy mayor, Carol Robles-Roman. Mr. Diaz, the councilman, said that on the flight down they ate sandwiches, drank sodas and ''talked politics,'' arguing among themselves over the status of the island commonwealth.

Later, the group, including Dennis Rivera, the labor leader whose support was considered critical to Mr. Bloomberg's electoral success, and State Senator Olga Mendez, joined the hundreds of dignitaries seated on the steps of the Capitol in San Juan for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Puerto Rico's Constitution. Mr. Bloomberg told the crowd of thousands that he was thrilled to be able to bring his delegation, representing a city with 2.5 million Latinos and Latinas.

Still, Mr. Bloomberg played down suggestions that he favors Latinos over New York's many other ethnic groups.

''I don't know that I feel more strongly of one group versus another,'' Mr. Bloomberg said. ''Maybe I should try harder for those that didn't vote for me,'' he said, chuckling. Mr. Bloomberg took 47 percent of the Latino vote to get elected.

''Look, it is great to be able to come here and represent both here and in the Dominican Republic a very big percentage of New York City,'' the mayor added. ''I hope to be able to go elsewheres. In the fall, I'm trying to put together a trip to go to Greece and to Turkey. There's a large Greek community. It would be great if I could go everyplace.''

On Friday, he plans to tour the Dominican Republic with Ms. Reyna and Mr. Martinez, as well as Guillermo Linares, a former councilman he has endorsed for state senator.

The council members said a trip like this raised their profiles and their effectiveness.

''The Latino contingent in the Council is very united,'' Mr. Rivera, the council member, said. ''We have regular meetings to discuss issues that affect our community -- things that affect our areas. And especially getting the message out that we are becoming the majority population of the city of New York and therefore need to represent in that manner, and the way we do that is by keeping our voices loud and clear.''

Having the mayor's support, he said, certainly helps.

Photo: Gov. Sila Calderón of Puerto Rico with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at the Capitol in San Juan during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Puerto Rico's Constitution and commonwealth status. (Associated Press)